Kalkatta by Kunal Basu

When about two years back I read, probably in Anandabazar Patrika, that renowned author Kunal Basu had shifted his base to his city of origin- Kolkata, and henceforth would divide his time between UK (where he teaches in Oxford University) and this city, I was elated as a Kolkatan to see one of the city's brightest minds back home. At that time he just started research on his next novel set in Kolkata and centred around a gigolo. The novelty of the subject fanned my curiosity about the book and finally now it is coming out from Pan Macmillan India as Kalkatta (The way non-Bengalis pronounce the name of the city).

The book title has an engaging tagline- Every city has its secrets.

This video about the book, that I came across from a Facebook post by blogger friend Anindya S Basu, got me more hooked to it. It is a monologue of the author shot largely outdoor in various locations in Kolkata and his home, and a charming preface of the story. 

“When I started writing this novel, the question that was foremost on my mind was how do I bridge the gap between me, the author, and Jamshed, the gigolo. And I thought the best way would be to write the novel in first person. To try to see Kolkata through the eyes of Jamshed rather than through the eyes of me.”- Kunal Basu says in the video.

Watch it here.



Looking forward to reading the book. It is quintessentially Kolkata and brings out lives from a part of the city I guess hardly dealt with in contemporary English fiction.

#Kalkatta #KunalBasu #KunakBasuBooks #KolkataEnglishfiction


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The little ‘Pujo’ gem from Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury

The quintessential ‘Bonedi barir pujo’ (The pujo in old, aristocrat Bengali households), a humane story of a family that touches the heart, competent casting (including the brilliant Ananya Chattopadhyay apart from an impressive Monali Thakur), backed by wonderful work by a crew with established names…………and last but not the least, a masterly brand integration in this 15-minute gem of a Pujo special short film by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, called Devi (The goddess). Just to add, it has music by Anupam, lyrics by Srijato and background score by Raja Narayan Deb. I found nothing better than this in the build-up to Pujo. Check it out! 

And if Sujoy’s Ghosh’s Ahalya inspired this in any way, I am hungry for more such little gems.

#Pujo2015 #Pujoshortfilm  #Devitheshortfilm #AniruddhaRoyChowdhury

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Iti Mrinalini promo

Looks like a classic awaiting release (on this July 29). Awaiting a competent and enjoyable take on the life of a lead actress in Bangla cinema from the '70s that is coming long after the brilliant Nayak by Satyajit Ray in 1966 based on the life of a male matinee idol of Bangla cinema played by Uttam Kumar.

What makes the film more interesting is that it is directed by actress-director Aparna Sen, who has been a lead actress of that era, and is playing the aged Mrinalaini - the title role (While Konkona Sen Sharma, her daughter, plays the younger Mrinalini).

Am personally curious to check out Kaushik Sen, who has played a Tamil director in the film in a reportedly standout performance. Kaushik, though highly deserving, has been largely overlooked in Bangla cinema so far, with only a few good films in his record, despite proving his worth sustainably in theatre and television.

Am also keen to listen to its music (by Debajyoti Mishra), with a friend having predicted that the song 'Aami achhi je tomar opekkhay saradin' is set to be a chartbuster.

Nondinee promo

Here's the second promo of Nondinee, the upcoming film by Subrata Sen after a long gap, starring Swastika Mukherjee. Mir and singer Dibyendu have played the male leads.